Nexus requirements

Mods requiring this file

Author's instructions

You're free to look at the source code and make small modifications for personal use.

File credits

hlpZilavTES5Edit Team

Changelogs

Version 1.9

- Renamed and adjusted hint for "Browse" button in the Asset Destination helper
for clarity. It now says "Explore".
- Now logging important Conflicting FormID errors that were muted before.
- Revised RenumberConflictingFormIDs to allow renumbering of injected formIDs
while maintaing their injected status, fixing an issue with in-merge injections
causing duplicate FormID errors.
- Fixed CopyGeneralAssets scanning "." and ".." folders on certain systems.
- Using FileExists for CopyGeneralAssets instead of FileSearch. ESP and ESM files
will always be in the base folder for the mod, else xEdit wouldn't have been
able to load them in the first place.
- Now using Edit Scripts\mp\temp as temporary directory, and verifying files
can be saved in the temporary directory.
- Implemented user-friendly EditOutOfDate method from mteFunctions when it has
been detected that the user is using an out of date version of xEdit.
- Now using robocopy instead of the deprecated xcopy function when copying
general assets with batch copying.
- Now logging batch copying to the merge log.
- Merge logs named properly (no more AM/PM).
- Now using copy instead of robocopy when useRobocopy constant is false. This
fix should help users who have privilege escalation issues when starting xEdit
through Mod Organizer.
- Updated EditOutOfDate method to take a URL as a parameter, now pointing to Nexus
Mods for TES5Edit (because of the 3.1.0 release).
- Fixed issue with Merged Plugin Manager not doing smart removal correctly due to
GetEditValues returning the wrong variable type when used in a function call.

Version 1.8

- Internal logging now used instead of TES5Edit logging. Some TES5Edit
log messages will still be used. Logs are automatically saved to a
text document in Edit Scripts/mp/logs/merge_<date>_<time>.txt. The
log can be viewed during execution by clicking on the Show Details
button.
- Logs folder is automatically created if it didn't exist before the
script was executed.
- New separate "Advanced Options" window for setting script options.
- Settings specified in the advanced options window will be saved to a
the file Edit Scripts\mp\config.ini whenever you click OK. These settings are then loaded and used each time the script is run in the
future.
- Automatic detection of Mod Organizer's directory has been added.
- Log saves even if script terminates prematurely.
- Better messages when a record fails to copy.
- Note: Several of the options in the Advanced Options window are
disabled because they haven't been implemented yet.
- New option: Renumber Conflicting FormIDs only renumbers FormIDs that conflict with each other. - Fixed asset copying to work with MO's virtual data directory as well as a real Skyrim data directory (e.g. NMM or manual installation).
- Fixed renumbering methods to not terminate prematurely.
- Made it so the script will wait for the user to close the progress window after execution instead of closing it automatically.
- Enhanced the advanced options GUI with hints and messages to help the user use the script properly.
- Added separate Asset destination directory so the user can set where the script copies assets to.
- Added CopyAll option, which copies assets from Mod Organizer mod folders to the asset destination folder.
- Fixed reference redirection error in Renumber Conflicting FormIDs method.
- Added BSA extraction.
- Added asset destination directory helper which will help the user if the directory they have set isn't empty. - Improved logging and clearer difference between normal mode and debug mode.
- File Specific asset copying fixed to also copy from BSAs.
- Fixed asset copying not handling renumbered FormIDs correctly.
- Fixed issues with merged plugin description not being created properly.
- Fixed issue with Next Object ID not being updated properly, causing
formlists to conflict with other records.
- Fixed issue with Remove() being used in second pass copying instead of
RemoveNode().
- Added batch copying, which allows you to do asset copying via a batch
file constructed by the script after the script's execution. This is
necessary for large merges where the memory footprint of CopyFile can
become an issue.
- Fixed TMemIni to use WriteBool and ReadBool for boolean values.
- Made internal log more responsive with Application.processmessages; after each new LogMessage.
- Adjusted remove masters routine to be more efficient.
- Better memory management (everything is freed properly, now).
- Copy General Assets now works correctly when modPath isn't found.
- Description no longer has issues with Merged Plugin: text.
- Script now forces TempPath to exist, in case it's been deleted.
- Filename sanitization now put in mteFunctions.
- Automatically updates GUI after merging via RemoveFilter(), which was
added in xEdit svn1876.
- Changed two-pass copying to remove immediately after copying, which should
correct any issues with merging into existing files with two-pass copying.
- Fixed issue with script closing the progress bar/log window when an exception
occurs instead of leaving it open.
- Fixed issue with Renumbering FormIDs where incorrect FormIDs were being added to the OldForms and NewForms stringlists (which affected FormLists).
- More robust approach to TempPath, will now try to use a secondary path if
DirectoryExists(TempPath) returns false after using ForceDirectories(TempPath),
and will terminate the script if the secondary path fails as well.
- Added PluginForm, which can be viewed by clicking a plugin label in the main MergeForm. This form shows more details on reports on a particular plugin.
- Massive fix, the Duplicate FormID errors that came up when copying CELL/WRLD
records have been fixed. The fix is kind of ugly right now, but it should
result in working merged plugins. A cleaner fix would require a direct change
to how wbCopyElementToFile works in the xEdit binary.
- If there are no files to be copied, the batch copy messages will not be printed
to the log and the script won't stop at the end to wait for batch copying to complete (because there is no batch copying happening).]
- Fixed issue with Renumber Conflicting FormIDs failing to properly index FormIDs
from a file being merged into.
- Fixed voice asset copying directory error.
- Revised hints in merge window.
- Removed unimplemented "Disable Plugins" checkbox.
- Made it so MCM translation file copying is logged at a basic level even when debugMCM isn't true.

Version 1.7

- Moved the Bethesda Files listing to mteFunctions.pas.
- The script now has a stylish new progress bar.
- The script now creates FormLists for each file that is merged, so
individual files can be removed after being merged
- The second pass copying will now use the merging method that was selected by the user, instead of always using MergeByGroups.
- Not having debug enabled will no longer create an issue with asset
copying.
- The user will be notified when their version of Edit is out of date.
- MCM Translation files are automatically copied for the new merged file.
- Second pass copying can now be performed into an existing file.
- Filenames in the Merging options form will be colored based on reports
stored in the Merge Plugins dictionary.
- You can now merge files and renumber formIDs when more than 128 files
are loaded in TES5Edit, assuming you're using TES5Edit v3.0.33 or newer.
- You can now merge into an existing plugin while using two-pass copying.
- The TComboBox in the file selection window is no longer editable, so
there should be no more confusion on how to use it.
- Created the Merged Plugin Manager. This can be used to generate reports
or to remove plugins from an existing merged plugin.
- Created a client-server interface for submitted reports and getting updated dictionary files.

Version 1.6

- Almost everything can now be merged with the new Two-Pass merging method. The one disadvantage of this method is you currently can't use it to merge into an existing merged file.
- Debug messages set to false by default.
- The mergerecords user variable has been removed because it doesn't do anything currently.
- Asset copying is no longer case sensitive.
- Cleaned up some message log stuff.
- UI has skipnavdata and two-pass copying as advanced merging options now.

Version 1.5

- Fixed description copying when merging into a merged file.
- The script will copy assets in Filename/FormID specific directories into a
new directory for the merged file, renaming as per renumbered FormIDs as
well. (e.g. NPC FaceGenData, and Voices)
- Map errors after merging were due to a common dirty edit of the Tamriel
worldspace record. The script now automatically rectifies this dirty edit
if a Tamriel worldspace record is found.
- Script terminates in a friendly manner with a meaningful message if the
user is using an old version of TES5Edit.
- NAVM/NAVI records are deleted from the merged file if skipnavdata is set
to true. This allows the merging of many mods that previously caused CTDs
when merged. (e.g. player home mods!)
- Code has been cleaned up and commented nicer.
- User variables moved to the constants section.

Version 1.3

- Fixed the renumbering process so it no longer renumbers master records which
are being overridden. This should fix A LOT of problems.
- The merge will now proceed from the last file to the first file, which is the way it always should have been.
- I created a new separate script for renumbering FormID in multiple files,
this should be useful to those of you who want to merge Immersive Settlements
(and maybe in some other situations as well).

Version 1.2

- ESP masters for files being merged are now recognized and added properly.
- You now select plugins to be merged by selecting them using Ctrl+Click or
Shift+Click in TES5Edit. That is to say, highlight the files you want to
merge then run the script to merge them. Thanks goes out to Zilav for this
functionality.
- The script will now continue trying to copy records if it encounters an error. This will let it complete the merge as much as possible, rather than terminating just because of a one or two bad records. The script will report records that failed to copy upon completion.

Version 1.1

- The script will automatically renumber FormIDs from a safe value which is
higher than the highest FormID amongst the plugins being merged.
- You no longer need to type in the file extension when telling the script
to use an existing file as your merged file. You can omit or include it
as per your preference.
- The script no longer misses child records when renumbering FormIDs. That
means files which previously had trouble merging (like Immersive Settlements)
should have fewer problems.
- Corrected and cleaned up code in several areas. Now the script will print
messages to the log telling you which files it's merging and will terminate
if no files are selected for merging.
- Added a user variable for merging masters. I don't recommend using this
functionality, as it may cause problems, but you're free to try it out!

Description://=====================================================================================================This script automates the process of combining multiple Bethesda Plugin/Master Files (.esp/.esm) into a single plugin file. I have perfected this process through extensive user-assisted experimentation and testing to take into account a massive number of variables. We have come a very long way from the manual merging method that was known 2 years ago.

The script is extremely easy to use, just select the mods you want to merge in xEdit, run the script, type in a name, and presto! Your mods are now in a single clean package!

Version 1.8://=====================================================================================================After extensive beta testing and development, Merge Plugins v1.8 has been publicly released. A lot has changed since v1.7, so it is extremely important for you to read the summary below. You can also check out the change log.

TES5Edit version checking:The script will terminate and print messages to xEdit's internal message log if you aren't using xEdit version 3.0.33 or newer. Because there isn't a way for me to check the svn of xEdit, you will pass this test even if you're using an old xEdit 3.0.33 svn. For this reason, I recommend that when you download version 1.8 you download the latest version of xEdit as well. Currently,the latest version is available on Nexus Mods (version 3.1.0). Having the latest xEdit version is absolutely essential for the script to run properly.

Advanced options:The GUI has received a massive overhaul. The settings that dictate how a merge is performed have been moved to a separate window, which you can open by clicking the gear icon in the lower right corner of the main Merge Plugins window. This "Advanced Options" window will automatically open the first time you run the script. You cannot perform a merge until you have set your settings in this window. Settings will be saved to "Edit Scripts\mp\config.ini", and reloaded each time you run the script in the future. Every control in the Advanced Options Window has detailed Hint text which will appear if you mouse over it. Hints that say LEGACY OPTION correspond to options you shouldn't use unless you're doing experimentation.

Mod Organizer options:If you're using Mod Organizer, you need to the check the "I'm using Mod Organizer" checkbox and then make sure the script knows where Mod Organizer is installed. If you click the Detect button the script will attempt to find Mod Organizer by searching standard installation directories. You can also enter the path manually or click on the folder icon to browse for it. The path here should be a full path to the directory holding ModOrganizer.exe. E.g. "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mod Organizer\"

There is a new option here called Copy general assets. This option only works with Mod Organizer, and has the script copy assets from the "Mod Organizer\mods\*\" folders corresponding to the ESPs you're merging. I highly recommend you use this option if you're using Mod Organizer.

Renumbering options:A new option called "Renumber conflicting FormIDs" has been added. This is the best of two worlds in that it only renumbers the records that need to be renumbered to avoid fatal conflicts (duplicate FormIDs), but doesn't renumber everything so esoteric issues relating to renumbering FormIDs are mitigated. You should always use this option, resorting to "Renumber all FormIDs"only if merging with "Renumber conflicting FormIDs" isn't creating a functioning merged plugin.

You should never use "Don't renumber FormIDs" unless you know what you're doing and are prepared to face the issues associated with duplicate FormIDs.

Second pass copying options:Second pass copying used to be necessary to create functioning merged plugins with certain records (NAVM, NAVI). Recent xEdit updates may have made it unnecessary. To be safe, you can use the "Second pass same as first" option, though this will extend the time spent merging. The default option is "No second pass", which I have determined works for mods that used to require a second pass.

Other options:The "Asset destination directory" is the directory where the script will copy assets to. If you're using Mod Organizer this should be Mod Organizer's overwrite folder. This will automatically be set if the script successfully detects Mod Organizer after you click the Detect button. You can also enter the path manually or click on the folder icon to browse for a destination folder. If you're using NMM your destination folder could be either Skyrim's data folder or a different folder which you plan on making into a mod package to install into Nexus Mod Manager later.

The "Extract BSAs" option will extract all BSAs associated with the plugins being merged to the "Asset destination directory". This is only necessary if you're using NMM, as Mod Organizer will load all assets from available BSAs automatically regardless of whether or not there's an ESP with a matching file name. Also note that, when copying file-specific assets like FaceGenData, Voices, and MCM Translation files the script will check inside available BSAs as well as your data directory, so you no longer need to extract BSAs before merging for that purpose anymore.

The "Disable label coloring" option is for users that can't see the colored labels in the main "Merge Plugins" window. An alternative to using this option is to enable Windows Aero.

The "Batch copy assets" option will copy all assets after merging via a batch (.bat) script. This option is valuable when performing large merges, as Delphi's internal CopyFile function operates asynchronously, which leads to massive memory and CPU usage, and will often lead to xEdit running out of available memory. You should always have this option enabled, but take note of the fact that it will open a visible Command Prompt (cmd.exe) window at the end of the merge for asset copying. You must not close TES5Edit or this window during the copying operation if you want asset copying to be performed correctly.

Asset destination helper:With the introduction of the "Asset destination directory" feature, I also implemented a checkwhich makes certain the asset destination directory is empty before performing any operationsfor the merge. If it's not empty, a window will appear alerting you that it's not empty, givingyou the options to proceed with the merge, open the directory in explorer, or cancel the merge.This should help you avoid the mistake of including files in the merged mod that aren't needed.If you're using the data directory as the asset destination directory when you first run the script, you will be notified that using it will make your data directory messy over time, and isn't recommended.

Installation://=====================================================================================================Before installing and using this script you need xEdit 3.0.33 svn1898 or newer.xEdit is an alternative editing program to the Creation Kit. While xEdit may not have some of the cool features the Creation Kit has, it runs faster and allows for the execution of pascal scripts.

Once you have downloaded and installed xEdit you simply need to copy the contents of the included "Edit Scripts" folder into xEdit's "Edit Scripts" folder. This folder is located in the directory where TES5Edit.exe is.

Tutorial://=====================================================================================================Merging Plugins with Mod Organizer:1. Set up the plugins you plan on merging so they're all in adjacent load order slots. Test to make sure the plugins create the desired behavior in the game before merging.2. Run xEdit through Mod Organizer and load the mods you want to merge.3. Use "Check For errors" on files to be merged and fix any errors xEdit finds. See the FAQfor more information on errors and how to fix them.4. Hold control and click on each of the mods you want to merge so they're highlighted.5. Right-click on one of the mods and click "Apply Script".6. Choose "Merge Plugins v1.8" from the drop-down menu and click OK.7. If it's your first time running Merge Plugins v1.8 you will be taken to the Advanced Options window.When here, check the "I'm using Mod Organizer" checkbox and set Mod Organizer's directory (you canuse the Detect button to have the script try to find it for you). Check "Copy General Assets", andset the Asset destination directory to Mod Organizer's overwrite folder, then click "Save".8. Verify the mods you want to merge are checked, and that no other mods are checked, then click OK.9. Choose -- CREATE NEW FILE -- and click OK.10. Enter the filename you wish to use for the merged plugin.11. Wait for merging to complete. If an error occurs (highly unlikely) the script will stop, display thelog, and alert you that an error occurred. Post this log on Nexus Mods to receive assistance.12. Once merging is completed, close xEdit saving ONLY the new merged plugin you just created.13. Right click on the Overwrite mod in Mod Organizer and click "Create Mod...". Name the mod,activate it, and then deactivate the mods you merged.14. Start the game and test to see if the merged plugin is working as intended.

Merging Plugins with Nexus Mod Manager:1. Set up the plugins you plan on merging so they're all in adjacent load order slots. Test to make sure the plugins create the desired behavior in the game before merging.2. Run xEdit and load the mods you want to merge.3. Use "Check For errors" on files to be merged and fix any errors xEdit finds. See the FAQfor more information on errors and how to fix them.4. Hold control and click on each of the mods you want to merge so they're highlighted.5. Right-click on one of the mods and click "Apply Script".6. Choose "Merge Plugins v1.8" from the drop-down menu and click OK.7. If it's your first time running Merge Plugins v1.8 you will be taken to the Advanced Options window.When here, check "Extract BSAs", and set the Asset destination directory to a folder on your desktop (or somewhere else) for the Merged Plugin you're making.8. Verify the mods you want to merge are checked, and that no other mods are checked, then click OK.9. Choose -- CREATE NEW FILE -- and click OK.10. Enter the filename you wish to use for the merged plugin.11. Wait for merging to complete. If an error occurs (highly unlikely) the script will stop, display thelog, and alert you that an error occurred. Post this log on Nexus Mods to receive assistance.12. Once merging is completed, close xEdit saving ONLY the new merged plugin you just created.13. Open your Skyrim data directory and move the Merged Plugin ESP file from it to the folder onyour desktop. Add the folder on your desktop to a .zip, .rar, or .7z archive, then install it inNexus Mod Manager. Activate it and deactivate the plugins of the mods you merged from yourload order.14. Start the game and test to see if the merged plugin is working as intended.

Verifying your Merged ESP:You should also re-open the merged ESP in xEdit after merging and use Check For Errors to make sure everything is functional.

Removing Plugins from a Merged Plugin:As of v1.7, you can remove plugins from a merged plugin. This will only work on plugins made withMerge Plugins v1.7 or newer. Note: this is an experimental feature and results may vary.

1. Load your merged plugin in TES5Edit.2. Right click on the merged plugin, and click "Apply Script".3. Choose "Merged Plugin Manager v1.1" from the drop-down menu and click OK.4. Check the plugins you want to remove, then click "Remove".5. Close the Merged Plugin Manager and then exit TES5Edit, saving the merged plugin.

Generating and Submitting Reports:As of v1.7, you can generate reports on the merge-ability of plugins. This can be done with a MergedPlugin or with the ESP files you merged.

1. Load your merged plugin in TES5Edit.2. Right click on the merged plugin, and click "Apply Script".3. Choose "Merged Plugin Manager v1.1" from the drop-down menu and click OK.4. Check the plugins you want to generate reports on, then click "Report".5. Enter the information you want to submit for each report. You won't be able to generate thereport if you leave one or more fields blank or at their default values.6. Once you've generated your reports, go to your Edit Scripts folder and open the "mp" folder.7. Run "Merge Plugins Report Client.jar", enter a username you want to have associated with your report, and click "Login".8. Click "Send Reports" to send all reports you have generated to the remote server to be incorporated with the Dictionary file.9. Click "Logout".NOTE: If you're found to be abusing the report submission system your IP will be blacklisted and you will no longer be able to submit reports or get updated dictionary files through the client.

Updating your Dictionary File:Updating your dictionary file will give you all the latest definitions from reports submitted byusers. I recommend you try to update your dictionary file before merging, and at most once a week.

Merge Logs://=====================================================================================================As of v1.8, the script uses an internal log instead of using the message log built-in toxEdit. This was done because there is a demonstratable performance hit when printing many messages to the xEdit log. To maximize the speed gained by not using a visible log, you should not click the "Show Details" button while the merge is being performed.

The script's internal log will be saved to a file "Edit Scripts\mp\logs\merge_<date>_<time>.txt"after the script finishes executing. If you experience problems you must copy the messagesfrom the log file associated with the merge and post them here or on pastebin if you wishto recieve assistance. Without a log file I can only really take shots in the dark as to what went wrong with your merge. With a log file, I can determine within 30 seconds what went wrong with a merge and respond immediately. Please, show me that you value both my time and your own time by posting a log when you have an issue. It's really easy to do and makes a world of difference.

Popular Mods://=====================================================================================================This is a short list of some popular mods that been made using the Merge Plugins script. These mods serve as proof of the Merge Plugins Script's success, effectiveness, and usefulness to the Skyrim Modding community. If you know of more popular mods that have been merged and distributed by the author using my script, let me know and I'll add them to this list!

Thanks://=====================================================================================================There are a lot of people who have helped make Merging Plugins into what it is today. HereI will show my appreciation for their contributions, which have been invaluable to the development of this tool. If you see them in the comments section or on the forums, make sure you thank them too!

zilav: The guy behind the machine. Zilav is one of the lead programmers of xEdit, andhas been working with me since I first started doing xEdit scripting. This guy has madeeverything I do possible and far more. All hail zilav!

Thank you everyone for your contributions!And thanks to everyone who has submitted reports to the dictionary!

Frequently Asked Questions://=====================================================================================================Q: Does this do conflict resolution? That is, if I have two mods that modify the same record, willmerging those plugins combine the edits from those records into a single record?A: No, absolutely not. Merging plugins combines the records in the mods being merged in thesame way as the mods would behave if left separate in your load order. That means the winningoverride will be used. If you want to combine multiple edits to the same records you need to make a compatibility patch which overrides those records with the edits you want to use. Thereare numerous tools out there that can do at least some of this for you, including Wrye Bash, the TES5Edit Merged Patch, and Mator Smash.

Q: In previous versions of this script certain plugins didn't merge well. Is this still the case?A: Based on 2791 reports submitted as of 02/12/2015, 97.56% of plugins merge well. Considering how v1.8 has a large number of bugfixes and improvements over v1.7, thispercentage will only be getting higher.Q:Will <insert mod here> work?A: Based on user-submitted reports, there's a 97.56% likelihood it will work. Those are some pretty good odds.Q:How do merge plugins behave with BOSS/LOOT?A: BOSS and LOOT don't know how to place merged plugins in your load order. You have to manually place them at the highest load order position of the mods you merged with respect to masters. (Viz., not above a file that is a master for the merged plugin.)

Q:Can I merge merged files?A: Yes, just not during the same run of xEdit (save and quit before each new merge). This shouldn't introduce new problems, just remember to backup so if you merge something bad you can undo it and keep the merged file you've been working on.

Q: What can I do about errors in plugins I want to merge?A: Well that depends on what the error is. If its a "<Record> marked as deleted..." erroryou can clean the plugin using xEdit's "Apply Filter for Cleaning" and "Undelete and DisableReferences" options. Other errors can be more complicated. Invalid or out of order subrecorderrors often can't be fixed, but you can tryopening these mods in the Creation Kit as the active file and then resaving them. "< Error: Could not be resolved >" FormIDs can be fixed by entering a valid FormID in their place or by removing the subrecord that holds them (right click -> Remove).NOTE:Fixing errors asides from UDRs can be a tricky business. Make sure you keep backupsof the plugins you plan on fixing errors for in case you accidentally break one of them!Q:Can mods with MCM menus be merged?A: As of v1.7 MCM translation files are handled properly, so MCMs should merge perfectly.

Q:Can I merge ESP patches with their master file?A: Yes.

Q:Can I merge a mod's patches together?A: Yes.Q:What are the benefits of merging?A: Merging reduces ESP clutter allowing for more mods. It also makes your data directory more manageable, so you no longer have to rip your hair out trying to find that ONE ESP which is causing you problems. It also improves performance, load times, and reduces CTDs. It's basically the panacea for DMS: Disorganized Modder Syndrome.

Q: SkyRe? AutomaticVariants? SUM?A: Don't merge plugins that were made or are in any way related to these mods. SkyRe was made with TESVSnip, and is a giant mess of corrupted data. In addition, all third party patchers will create corrupted data, which will lead to CTDs if copied in TES5Edit.

Q: Can I use SUM/AutomaticVariants/the Reproccer on a merged plugin?A: Yes. A merged plugin is a plugin just like any other plugin is a plugin. A merged plugin is just a single plugin with data that used to be spread out between multiple plugins.

Q: Right clicking isn't doing anything!A: Wait for the background loader to finish loading the mods.

Q: I'm getting CTDs, why?A: If you didn't check for errors in xEdit you may have merged mods with errors which, canlead to CTDs.

Q: Will this make my game explode?A: Just make sure you only save the merged ESP and disable the ESPs you merged from your load order when testing the merged file. If things don't work for some reason, active your old ESPs and delete the merged file and voila, everything's back to the way it was! No harm done.

Q: Where should I put the merged file in my load order?A: At the spot where the highest mod you merged was/should be. So if you merge mods at positions #10, #26, and #100 you want to put the merged ESP at position #10, with respectto masters.

Q: Copy Intelligently? Copy Records? Copy Groups? What are these things!?A: Just use copy intelligently. The other two are old merging methods that advanced users can choose to use if they so wish. You don't need to worry about them.

Q: What is corrupted data and can I fix it?A: Mods with invalid/out of order subrecords may have corrupted data. Or, at least, data that xEdit can't interpret properly. Opening these mods in the Creation Kit as the active file and then saving them MAY fix this problem, or it may not. If you merge mods with these errors the result is Skyrim CTDing when it starts.

Q: My hair's gone?! My armor's gone?! My weapons are gone?! My face is gone?!?! WHAT?!?!A: When you merge plugins many records are being moved to new FormIDs to prevent conflicts. That means all save games with references to the items from the mods you merged may have the items/objects removed. This is just the way the game works, there's nothing I can do about it. So say you merge your hair mods and you load a save game where you had a hair from one of those mods. You will be bald. It's no biggie though, just use showracemenu, find the hair, and save once you've fixed your depilation dilemma. Armors: add them back. Weapons/items: add them back. Face: uhh... o_o'? Generally speaking, however, it's probably best to start on a new save after merging hair/object/Leveled List/NPC outfit altering mods.

Q: Should I check for errors before merging?A: Yes.

Q: Should I check for errors after merging?A: Yes.

Q: Can I merge my entire load order into a single ESP?A: Theoretically, if all those mods didn't have problems with merging, yeah you could. It's probably best to just merge by mod groups though.

Q: Should I submit user reports?A: Please do. It takes you all of a few minutes and may be very helpful to other users.

Q: I'm unable to select the Merge Plugins script from the Apply Script window/which script do I select?A: When you right-click and choose apply script the window that comes up should have a drop-down menu from which you must select Merge Plugins v1.8. DO NOT USE "Merge plugins", this is a WIP non-functional script created by Zilav. If you do not see Merge Plugins v1.8 in the window you're doing one of a few things wrong:

You're starting xEdit from a shortcut, which is starting it in a directory where it doesn't

have access to "Edit Scripts/Merge Plugins v1.8.pas". Try starting xEdit directly from the executable located in the directory as the Edit scripts folder you installed my Merge Plugins script into.

Q: Can I remove an ESP from a merged plugin?A: Yes! As of v1.7 you can do this with the Merged Plugin Manager! Note: this is an experimental feature, your results may vary.

Q: mteFunctions.pas is included in both AutomationTools and the Merge Plugins script, which should I use?A: Use the one in the Merge Plugins script. If you really want to be certain you're using the most up to date version (all versions are backwards compatible) you can grab that from my GitHub.

Q: TES5Edit has to be in its own folder?A: That's how I like to organize things. This is no longer required as of version 1.7.

Q: When do merged plugins cause problems?A: Merged plugins fail/cause problems when data isn't properly copied to them by xEdit or when assets aren't properly made available to them. Merged plugins are plugins just like all other plugins are plugins.

Q: Can I merge ESM files?A: If the ESM files are used by any other files in your load order you should not merge them. If they aren't used by any other files in your load order, you can merge them. Alternatively you can open the master file and all the files that use it as a master and merge them all together.

Q: Can older merged plugins I made continue to work with new versions of TES5Edit/the script?A: Yes. You don't need to re-merge things whenever there is an update to TES5Edit/the Merge Plugins script. If the merge is working, it's working. However, you won't be ableto use the features of the Merged Plugin manager on Merged Plugins that were made in versions prior to 1.7.

Q: I got "Error in unit 'mteFuntions'...", why?A: You installed an older version of mteFunctions.pas. Reinstall the latest version of the merge plugins script and make sure you replace your current mteFunctions.pas with the one in v1.8.

Q: Is it OK to rename merged plugins after merging?A: No. Renaming the merged plugin will break the association of various assets with it.

Q: How much can this reduce my load order?A: I've heard reports of ~70% plugin reduction in load orders (insaneplumber, 357 to 104 plugins). It all depends on the mods you're using.